Ice tray



March 8, 1949. BUCHANAN I 2,463,947

ICE TRIM! Filed Nov. 5, 1946 1 5' INVENTOR. 7 44/0/9452 ,(McflAA AA/ v WWQQW ,4 TTO/P/VE Y Patented Mar. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ICE TRAY Michael K. Buchanan, Norfolk, Va.

Application November 5, 1946, Serial No. 707,941

Claims.

The invention relates in general to freezing apparatus or trays for use in mechanically refrigerated household refrigerators and specifically relates to such apparatus which include an open top pan in which is removably located a grid for dividing the pan into a plurality of molding compartments for forming ice cubes. More specifically defined the invention relates to such a grid when formed of a longitudinally extending dividing partition extending in the medial plane of the pan from opposite sides of which partition extend cross members coacting with the pan to form therein ice molding compartments. also known in the prior art to form such dividing partitions of two separable elements, relatively shiftable, sometimes vertically and at other times transversely, to break the adhesion thereto of the ice by means of some form of force multiplying lever mechanism. Such mechanism is also utilized incidentally to separate the grid with the ice adhering thereto from the pan. In accordance with usual practices the grid is first removed from the pan by an initial operation of the lever mechanism and then by a subsequent operation of the lever mechanism the grid elements are relatively shifted to release the ice cubes therefrom.

It is the intent in known devices of the type above outlined to break all of the formed ice cubes clear of the pan and grid-forming elements without breakage or shattering of the ice. In actual practice, however, this ideal condition does not materialize especially in those cases where the ice has been subjected to an unusually sharp freezing. It is common experience with such freezing devices now on the market that some of the ice cubes come off the grid without damage; others break into pieces with parts adhering to the relatively movable grid elements and in other cases the It is.

cubes adhere to the grid despite the actuation of the ice separating mechanism.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a grid of the type above outlined which will function without the objections enumerated and from which all of the ice cubes are separated wholly, as distinct cubes or blocks, from both the pan and from the grid, in a clean cut manner without breaking, cracking, or shattering the ice cubes and without resort to the usual heating of the apparatus.

The present practice of first removing from the freezing pan the grid with the ice cubes adhering thereto and then removing the ice cubes from the grid is cumbersome, messy and usually involves the use of another receptacle to receive the separated cubes, or a careful refitting of the cubes back into the cold pan after the grid has been removed. This necessity of handling the cubes after they have been detached from the pan constitutes another objection to such freezing apparatus as are now found on the market.

Accordingly another object of the invention is to provide a single unit comprising a grid and associated manually actuated mechanism for breaking the adhesion between the ice and the freezing apparatus, which unit can be lifted clear of the pan leaving the ice cubes in the frozen pan, substantially in the places where they were formed, and in this way avoid any necessity of handling the cubes after they have been broken away from the apparatus and retain the advantages inherent in storing the separated cubes in the frozen pan.

Broadly this objective is obtained by proportioning the areas defining at least one of the ice adhering surface of each compartment, in such Way that the greater ice contacting surface forms part of a lower unit including the cross members, and a lesser surface area forms part of an upper member and thus with relatively small ice contacting extent, and providing upwardly facing wedging means on the upper member, operative on the separation of the members vertically to break the adhesion between the ice and all of the grid forming members from the grid.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part will be more fully set forth in the following particular description of one form of freezing apparatus embodying the invention, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view looking down upon a preferred embodiment of the invention with one of the levers broken off to show part of the grid structure therebelow;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View in the medial plane of the device and taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and showing the levers in position lifting the grid upwardly from the pan and with the right end of the upper plate broken away;

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the left end of the grid removed from the pan and showing the left lever raised in position separating the two grid units;

Figs. 4 and 5 are each transverse sectional views through the grid so removed in the pan and taken through any one of the ice forming compartments, except the end compartments;

Fig. 4 showing the grid units in their normal position with the ice cubes adhering thereto and taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. showing the grid units in their shifted position with the ice cubes shown in the positions assumed thereby at the instance of breaking away from the grid, and taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of one of the cross members shown in the preceding figures.

In the drawing there is shown a sheet metal freezing pan IQ of the usual open top type and with its upper edge bent back upon itself to form a reinforced rolled edge II and providing at opposite ends of the pan outstanding bearing ledges l2 and l 3. The interior of the pan is divided into two rows of freezing compartments I4 of blocklike design by means of a removable grid fitted in the pan and particularly forming the novel element of this disclosure.

The grid is formed primarily of a longitudinally extending dividing partition l5 located in the medial plane of the pan and a plurality of spaced apart parallel cross members ll extending laterally and integrally across the partition 36 and from one to the opposite sides of the pan as shown in Fig. 1. The opposite long sides are inclined upwardly and outwardly thus providing a wide open top to the pan and when the grid is ele vated slightly off the bottom of the pan sufiicient clearance is provided between the partly elevated grid and the sides of the pan to permit the slight lateral and outward shifting of the ice cubes as shown in Fig. 5.

The partition I6 is formed of two upstanding thin sheet metal plates sufiiciently rigid to resist bending during normal operation, a lower plate I8 and an upper plate I9 disposed side by side in vertical planes and with the lower edge of the upper plate I3 slightly lapping the upper edge 2| of the lower plate l8 as best shown in Fig. 4.

The lower plate is provided at each end with upstanding extensions '22 which project above the upper edge of the lower plate and, when the grid is in position in the pan, above the pan edges as indicated in Fig. 2. Similarly the upper plate I9 is provided at each end with an upstanding exten* sion 23 terminating at its upper edge in a laterally extending flange 24 overlapping the extene si0ns'22 of the lower plate and forming a stop for limiting the lowering movement of the upper plate IS.

The plates 18 and [9 are designed to be moved relative to each other vertically by means of a pair of levers 25 and 26, one at each end of the grid. Each lever is bent back transversely upon itself to form a pair of parallel cheek plates 21 and 28 at one end and terminates at the opposite end in a long handle 29 designed to lie fiat on top of the upper plate [9 as suggested in Fig. 1. Each lever is connected to the plates by a fulcrum pin 30 passed through the cheek plates and through a screw hole 3| provided therefore in the adjacent extension 22 and through a slot 32 registering therewith in the extension 23. Spaced inwardly from the pin 30 is a lifting pin 33 passed through registering slots, marked 34 in the upper and lower plates and through screw holes 36 in the side walls or cheek plates 21-28 of the lever. At least one of each set of screw holes in each lever is threaded to accommodate the screw-like pins 30 and 33. Each lever is also provided with an outward extension forming a heel 31 designed to bear on the end ledges I 2 and I3 to pry the grid as a whole, with its associated ice cubes as shown in Fig. 2 from the bottom and sides of the pan.

It is a particular feature of novelty of the grid that the upper plate is provided adjacent its lower edge 20 with a plurality of embossments 38, one for each transverse pair of compartments M, except the end compartments. These embossments are in the form of section-50f a sphereand form hollow cup-like depressions 39 on the side thereof facing the lower plate I8 and with dimple-like extensions 40 on the opposite side of the upper plate. While the embossments are thus somewhat semi-spherical this design is a matter of manufacturing convenience. The intent here is to provide an upwardly facing wedge on which the ice forms infreezing and in freezing forms its compliment in the ice. In this way an upward movement of the upper plate, assuming the lower plate to be fixed, will cause the upper side of the extension 40 to bear on and wedge itself against the recess provided thereby in the ice cube and the lower side of the depression 39 in raising will bear on and wedge itself against the underside of the projection formed thereby in the ice as hereinafter more fully described. The upper edge 21' of the lower plate is provided with recesses,

one for each embossment, and located directly The cross members I'! are each provided at its" center with an upstanding slot 42 having a width to accommodate therein both of the plates I 8 and I9 and one side of which slot is enlarged to pro vide a clearance 43 of. substantially semi-circularform andthrough which the embossments 38 on the upper plate l9 are passed, in assembling the parts. which make up the grid; The upper edges of the upper plate and the lower edges of the lower plate are provided respectively with alignedslots 44 and 45in which the cross members are ill-- terlinked.

In fabricating the parts which make up thegrid, the several cross plates, I 1 are assembled. with their slots 42 and their clearances 43 in.

alignment; and the two plates l8 and H! are threaded endwise through the aligned slots. in.

such position that-the extensions 40 will pass freely through the clearance '43.

structure.

edge of the upper plate. Similarly thevsolid por tions of the cross plates below their slots 42 are received in the slots 45 formed in the lower edge;

When the cross andpartition;v

of the lower plate. forming plates are thus assembled, the crossplates are thus linked to and become part of the;-

unit which. is composed of the lower plate 13 and cross plates I! leaving the upper plate was a unit capable of vertical movement relative to the first named unit.

When the parts are thus assembled the fulcrum pins 30 and lifting pins 33 are inserted inplace. as indicated and the grid is, thus readyv for use when installed in thefreezing pan.

In operation and assuming that the grid is. contained in the pan and resting snugly on the" The cross plates are then spaced apart and separated into the. positions which they will assume in the-finished The upper plate is then elevated to. receive the. solid portions of the cross plates abovethe slot 42 within the slots 44 formed in the upper.

bottom thereof, the pan is filled with water to a water level at least sufficiently high to submerge the embossments 38 and subjected to the freezing effect of a refrigerator. As the ice forms in the several compartments 14, the resulting ice cubes Ic, of course, are molded to the form impressed thereon by the walls outlining each compartment. Referring to the effect of the embossments 33 on the ice cubes as they are being formed, it is noted from the showings in Figs. 4 and 5 that the dimple-like extension or button 40 provides in the adjacent face of the ice cube an indentation dz which in configuration is a compliment of the extension is, that is, a recess or cup-like depression of semi-spherical form is made in the ice. On the opposite side of the partition :5 the ice cube forms a button-like round projection of semi-spherical form, which is formed by and intrudes into the depression 39 so that the projection is a compliment of the depression 3Q. It is also noted by reference to Figs. 4 and 5 that the left ice cube overlaps the upper edge 2i of the lower plate l8 and the right ice cube underlaps the lower edge of the upper plate.

In order to break the adhesion between the ice cubes so formed and the walls which outline the several ice compartments M, the levers 25-26 are first elevated from the horizontal position shown Fig. 1 into the partly raised position shown in Fig. 2. This initial lever action causes the heels 3'! to bear on the pair of ledges I2 and I3 to elevate the grid as a whole with the ice cube adhering thereto as indicated in Fig. 2 and in general following conventional practices in this respect.

This elevation of the grid and cubes within the pan has the efiect of brealn'ng the ice seal between the ice and between the bottom and the two long inclined sides of the pan. The grid and associated ice cubes might be removed bodily from the pan at this point but it is suggested that complete removal is unnecessary and the cubes may be permitted to remain in the pan when separated from the partly elevated grid as hereinafter described.

A continued movement of the levers from the positions shown in Fig. 2 to the positions shown in Fig. 3 will cause a relative vertical shifting of the upper and lower plates l9 and [8. It will be noted as shown at the left of Fig. 3 that pin 33 is exerting upward pressure or load on the upper plate l3 while pin 39 is by reaction exerting a downward pressure or reactory load on the lower plate 58. At the start of this operation the ice in each compartment is adhering to the three walls provided by the two inner longitudinal plates l1 and 58, and by the associated pair of cross plates which define each of the freezing compartments I l.

Assuming to facilitate explanation that the lower plate is relatively stationary, the upward movement of the upper plate with its relatively smaller area of contact with the ice cube tends to tear the upper plate away from the ice, with what might be termed a shearing action as the upper plate thus moves in the plane of the adjacent side of the ice cube. If this was the only action which took place then the upper plate would simply break away from the ice cubes, but the cubes would still adhere to the unit formed of the lower plate and transverse or cross plates. However, another action takes place by reason of the wedges present which exerts force components in two directions, one to shear the ice from the cross plates and the other to break the inner lower portions of the iCe cubes adhering to the lower plate outwardly and laterally away from the same. More specifically described and referring to Figs. 4 and 5, it is noted that the upward movement of the extension do at the right side react on the depression di and cams the right block outwardly and downwardly relative to the cross plate H as shown at the right of Fig. 5. The right cube or block breaks away from the both plates with a progressive action, starting with a crack at the top of the joint formed between the ice and upper plate and progressing down along the face of the lower block and thus pivoting about the lower plate at its extreme lower edge. Similarly the upward movement of the plate !9 causes the lower side of the depression 39 to wedge against the inside of the projection pi to similarly move the left ice cube outwardly and downwardly pivoting about the lower portion of the lower plate B8. In this way, the adhesion between the upstanding sides of the ice cubes, particularly referring to those in the freezing compartments other than the end compartments; is broken progressively. The ice cubes are in this way freed from the grid and where this operation has taken place within the pan the ice cubes remain in the pan in approximately the same position where they are formed.

I claim:

1. An ice tray grid comprising an upper longitudinal member, a lower longitudinal member and transverse members, the transverse members being secured to the lower longitudinal member, the upper longitudinal member and the transverse members being loosely connected to each other to permit relative vertical movement, the ends of the lower longitudinal member extending upwardly to substantially the plane of the top of the upper longitudinal member, the upper longitudinal member being provided with embossments for interlocking with ice cubes formed in the grid, and lever mechanism secured to the upper and lower longitudinal members to cause relative movement of said members and to cause the embossments to react with the walls of the ice cubes to release the cubes from the grid upon operation of the lever mechanism.

2. An ice tray comprising a pan, and a grid in the pan, the grid comprising an upper longitudinal member, a lower longitudinal member and transverse members, the transverse members being secured to the lower longitudinal member, the upper longitudinal member and the transverse members being loosely connected to each other to permit relative vertical movement, the ends of the lower longitudinal member extending upwardly to substantially the plane of the top of the upper longitudinal member, the upper longitudinal member being provided with embossments for interlocking with ice cubes formed in the pan, and a lever secured to each end of the lower longitudinal member and to the upper longitudinal member adjacent each end, each of said levers being provided with extensions to engage the edge of the pan and, on operation, to raise the grid in the pan and, upon further operation, to cause relative upward movement of the upper longitudinal member to release the cubes from the grid.

3. A grid for forming ice cubes in a pan comprising a lower longitudinal upstanding plate and a plurality of cross plates linked to said lower plate, and an upper longitudinal upstanding plate loosely connectedto the cross plates-to per-- mit relative vertical movement between the upper plate and the lower plate, manually actuated leverage means connected to the plates to cause, upon operation, the upper plate to be elevated independently of the lower plate and the cross plates, said upper plate being provided with an embossment between each pair of cross plates.

adjacent each end, the upper longitudinal plate being provided with embossments for interlocking with ice cubes formed in the pan, said leverage means being provided with extensions to engage the edge of the pan and, on operation, to.

raise the grid in the pan and, upon further operation, to cause relative movement of the upper longitudinal plate to release the cubes from the grid.

5. An ice tray grid comprising a lower longitudinalmember, transverse members linked'toy the lower longitudinal member, and. an upper longitudinal member in substantially the same: plane as the lower longitudinal member, the up per. longitudinal member being loosely connectedto the transverse members to permit relative;-

vertical movement between the upper longitudinal member and the lower longitudinal mem. her, the upper longitudinal member being pro-- videdv with embossments for interlocking with:

ice cubes formed in the grid, and manuallyactuated leverage means connected to the longi:--

tudinal members adjacent their ends to cause,,

upon operation, the upper longitudinal member to. be elevated independently of the lower longittudinal member and the transverse members to release. the ice cubes from the grid.

MICHAEL K. BUCHANAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES- PATENTS Number Name Date 2,043,881 Buchanan et al. June 9, 1936 2,154,356 Reeves Apr. 11, 1939 2,271,558 Kitto Feb. 3, 1942 

